Summer Accessibility Programme
About the Programme
University of Atypical for Arts and Disability (UofA) is offering a 4 day summer programme in all aspects of accessibility. The programme is designed and led by d/Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists, and will feature guest presenters who are experts in their field. It takes place in the Ledger Studio, 109-113 Royal Avenue, Belfast on 21 and 28 July, 18 and 25 August 2026.
Standard rate for 4 full days:
- 1 person from a Belfast-based organisation: £300.
Special rates:
- 1 person from an organisation based outside of Belfast: £260.*
- Individuals (for example, students or freelancers): £150.
* We want the programme to be open to organisations outside Belfast who may have to travel to us to attend the programme. We have reduced rates for organisations based outside the Belfast City Council area, as well as people who may be unwaged.
The programme will cover topics including the disability rights movement; access in the built environment; accessible information, websites, and social media; the experience of Deaf, visually impaired, and neurodivergent people, and ways to ensure we are included in what you do.
Who is the Programme For?
The programme is for professionals, students and freelancers working in arts, community, cultural, and voluntary sectors. You will develop a stronger grasp of the life experiences of disabled people, a political understanding of disability as a rights issue, and above all, learn how to address accessibility issues that you encounter every day.
UofA is disabled-led organisation with a deep understanding of disability and accessibility in theory and in practice. Our work responds creatively within a climate of challenging financial and environmental limits. Each programme day will provide opportunities to learn from facilitators with lived experience of the topics, to ask questions relating to your own context or experiences, and to discuss the issues with a group of arts and community workers in an open and relaxed environment.
Contacts and Booking
If you want more information, you can email Jonathan Mitchell (Access and Inclusion Manager) at jonathan@universityofatypical.org.
You can book in several ways:
- Fill in the form on our TicketSource.
- Email jonathan@universityofatypical.org.
- Call us on 028 9023 9450.
Schedule and Details
The programme runs across 4 days in July and August 2026. All dates start at 10:00 am and finish at 4:00 pm.
Tuesday 21 July: Understanding Disability, and Disability Rights.
You will learn about the recent history of disability rights movements, medical and social models of disability, changing language and attitudes, the intersectionality of disability, and national and international frameworks of disability rights and law.
Tuesday 28 July: Deaf Culture and Language, and Accessing the Built Environment.
The first session will be led by someone with direct experience of Deafhood. You will learn about the history of the Deaf Community on the island, the origins and development of British and Irish Sign Language, key social barriers for Deaf people and artists, and accessibility measures to address these.
In the afternoon, you will gain insights about how to make spaces accessible to a range of people (transport, getting in and out, moving around and sitting inside, getting assistance, signage, technologies, toileting).
Tuesday 18 August: Making Information Accessible, Understanding Visual Impairment.
In the first session, you will find out how to improve information and communication on social media and websites, in programmes and newsletters (writing and formatting information clearly, adding image descriptions, making documents and websites screen reader-compatible).
The afternoon discussion will be led by someone with direct experience of visual impairment. We will consider types and effects of different kinds of visual impairment, issues that arise for visually-impaired people and artists in various cultural spaces (from galleries to theatres), and measures we can take to mitigate or remove these.
Tuesday 25 August: Perspectives on Learning Disability and Neurodivergence.
The discussion will be led by people with direct experience of learning disability and neurodivergence. You will look at the recent history of learning disability (from large congregated settings to community living), the neurodiversity movement, how learning disability and neurodivergence relate to each other, barriers for learning disabled and neurodivergent people (communication, information, social interaction, sensory stimulation) and how to address these (Easy Read, plain English, social stories, clear and concise communication, quiet or sensory spaces).
Each session will include a break in the afternoon for lunch as well as shorter breaks through the day. (Lunch will not be provided but there are a number of eating options nearby.) A more detailed schedule will be provided to all bookers in advance of each session.